


hand in hand is the only way to land

by smutpeddler



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M, Preseries, Slow Burn, eventual steve/oc, part of the bubble bath story, right now just buddies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-27
Updated: 2017-12-27
Packaged: 2019-02-22 14:00:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13168419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smutpeddler/pseuds/smutpeddler
Summary: Sometimes it paid to just be a regular, normal girl





	hand in hand is the only way to land

**Author's Note:**

> so this steve story is still in the works but i know it's gonna be a slow burn. in the previous work i mention jason, he is lalaina's boyfriend (played in my head by owen teague) who she starts dating preseries and is dating at the start of 2nd season. this is just a little backstory on the two of them.
> 
> Tumblr; wherewecangazeintothestars.tumblr.com

Jason is like her, not too popular not to geeky. She might have a leg up with Steve Harrington in her holster but she still remains relatively under the radar. They're paired in history for the end of quarter project. Easily they agree on the Salem Witch Trials as their focus, they meet at the library after school the first day. He's a bit of a clown, easily making her laugh with jokes and dumb tricks. Distracting her more than he probably realizes, more than she can think about. He's accidentally tipped himself over in his chair trying to balance a pencil on his nose, she invites him over the next day before offering her hand to help him off the ground. He looks down at her, hands in the back of his pocket and nodding. For the first time she feels bold, it ends in her scribbling her number on a piece of notebook paper and handing it to him before hurrying off outside. Steve will give her hell if she's late for the ride home she'd asked for as a favor. He pokes fun at her the whole way home, when he's not talking about Nancy. But she's not quite listening, she's busy thinking about the butterflies in her stomach and how for once they feel nice.

 

“Is he coming over tomorrow?” the important questions as always from King Steve.

 

She rolls her yes, glancing at him, “Probably. So you don't have to give me a ride.”

 

He slows to a stop in front of her house, “Do you like him?”

 

“I don't really know him,” she shrugs, opening the door, “But I'm not against the idea,” with a smirk she slams the door. She strides across the lawn with a smirk, it isn't often she gets the last word and if there was ever a time to get it...

* * *

 

Lalaina couldn't remember a time she loved her little sister more than when she answered the phone, if it had been the boys all hell might have broken lose. But Moira has a crush on Corey Laxer, who happens to be the little brother of Jason's best friend Edgar, and it had works out in her favor. Wearing her bath robe, hair still damp from being sequestered in a bun, she stands in the parlor phone against her ear.

 

“We still on for tomorrow?” comes from the other end, the eyes of her sister and mother peak from around the corner.

 

She turns, with some sort of naive idea that turning her back to them would stop the sound of her voice, “Definitely. You could've asked at school.”

 

Jason chuckles, “You really should get a phone in your room. Cuts out the eaves dropping,” her voice catches to protest, “3 brothers. I know what it sounds like. Exactly why I called. Needed to know if calling dibs on the car was a waste of time or not.”

 

“Well, aren't you the charmer,” collapsing in the chair next to the phone stand, smiling, “Tomorrow for sure though.”

 

“I look forward to it, pretty lady,” there was the click of the line disconnecting.

 

Tongue behind her teeth, head turned she dropped the phone back in the cradle. It's new, different, and easy. She bites the tip of her thumb, throwing herself back into the stiff back with a smile. _Pretty lady_. It had been said with a laugh, but it hadn't needed to be said at all. She'd been called cute, adorable. But pretty lady, that hadn't happened yet. Lainey can hear her mother and sister whisper, giggle. Answering so many questions she'd ignored before, walked away from. Just like Steve's. Maybe she likes him.... _maybe...._

* * *

 

They both have study hall before lunch and then history right after, which might have been a good thing if they could have focused on their project at all. Both distracts the other with distasteful jokes and dirty limericks in hushed whispers. At least it was only the opening statement, what they were doing and why. At least they had covered that in the library the day before. As lunch seemed to be going the same way as study hall. He carries both their trays telling her the great epic of why his red Thunderbird has a black door and why his brother lets him borrow the car whenever he asks. Lalaina had never felt herself blush before, the hot and deep kind that you couldn't get ride of. Nor could she remember smiling so much and so hard her jaw began to ache.

 

“The worst Moira ever does is steal my make up,” she laughs when they sit at the table, glancing at him as he sets her tray delicately in front of her, “You are _actually_ a charmer, aren't you?”

 

The grin he gives her is cheeky, “Well, when I'm trying to charm someone as pretty as you...” smiling into his orange juice before he takes a long gulp.

 

She hides behind her hair, dipping a french fry in ketchup and chewing it thoughtfully. Nervously she peaks between the strands with a smile, “You're not half bad yourself.”

 

It's Jason who pushes the hair back behind her ears, “Where'd you go?”

 

“I'm not quite sure,” she laughs, watching that same slender hand fall on her wrist, “I've never- I don't quite-”

 

“Me neither,” he laughs, blowing a stray bang out of his face, “Tell me if you've heard this one. There was a harlot from Kew...”

* * *

 

They're presentation goes off relatively well. They hit all the key points. When the other begins to wander or forget something the other knocks them with their elbow and picks it up. Too most it would've been impossible to tell they were anything but a well oiled history machine. For once, she doesn't think of the class or of Steve's reading eyes, just simplicity. After history she has trig and Jason has bio. Not that it really matters, she could barely focus, her mind kept trailing back to her history partner. How he bit the corner of his lip when he smiled, he had carried everything for her during the day. Books, bag, lunch tray. His hand over her wrist, just the thin cotton of her long sleeved shirt separating them. A pop quiz had never been more welcome.

 

He's waiting outside the door for her when class ends. No one's every done that before. Not even Steve. It makes her cheeks hot again, everyone's looking, there are whispers. She's never caused whispers before but she finds herself not caring. Jason takes her books, his bag already slung over his shoulder, walking her to her locker with almost bated excitement to carry her bag as well. When the books are loaded he wastes no time in doing just that.

 

“I can't be that pretty,” she jokes, but it rings too true, leaning back against the closed locker.

 

He stares down at her, biting the corner of his lip, “Yes, you are,” and she's sure it means something more, that there's some story she's going to have to drag out of him later. But right now, she's content to blush and think she's way less attractive than he's implying and yet feeling just that.

 

“Shut up,” laughing it off by poking his chest and turning down the hall.

* * *

 

It's only seeing Moira and her gaggle of friends that reminds Lalaina it's Friday. A bad day to have anyone over, the day she runs from her house to the haven of Steve Harrington and his shitty friends. Her companion slows beside her as she sees the gaggle and he laughs, a familiar laugh, one she's given herself. It's a reminder, he has siblings too and he knows exactly what's happening. She's in the passengers seat and instead of taking her direction of left he goes right.

 

She jerks her head to look at him, “Your house, an unholy amount of preteen girls. My house, empty. I'm in remedial algebra and even I can do that math.”

 

“That doesn't fill me with a whole lot of confidence about being your history partner,” she laughs, fiddling with the tape deck till she can hear the buzzing radio.

 

“I may be bad at math, but I'm a whizz at history,” it's that same tone. As if somewhere down the road she'd have to untangle what exactly he meant.

 

This time she twists the tuner dial until The Cure blared through the stereo. Though it only became that loud from her pinky slyly turning up the volume dial. _We're so wonderfully, wonderfully, wonderfully, wonderfully pretty..._

* * *

 

The house is small and cramped, just like everything inside of it. But Lalaina doesn't mind, bumping knees underneath the tiny dining room table as they discuss how they want to present their project. Jason wants to cop out with just a display board but she knows that if they at least have an oral portion they'll jump one grade higher. They've finally agreed to do both when he offers her a beverage, seemingly ashamed he hadn't thought of it before and hiding it behind his bangs.

 

“We have...” he throws open the fridge door, “Beer. And...” eyes flying to the drying rack by the sink, “Water.”

 

He's clearly uncomfortable. She smiles at him, big and bright, “I'll take a beer if you won't get in trouble.”

 

“Never do,” pulling out a bottle for each of them and using the counter to wedge off the caps, “It's not as-”

 

“It's fine,” fingers grazing his when she takes the bottle, “Beer and silence, I'd kill for that,”

 

“You've got 2...” she shakes her head, “3...” another shake, “4? Seriously 4?”

 

With a hearty gulp she nods, “Older brother. Younger sister. And twin younger brothers. The only thing that saves me most weeks is a lock on the bathroom door,” watching as he slides elegantly into his chair.

 

“There's my oldest brother he's at college, then Donovan, he's a year older than me. And Kevin, he's a year younger than me and at military school. Dad...” he gulps his beer.

 

“Works?” knocking his knee with hers, “So does mine. A lot. I think the only reason we get along is because I'm not begging for his attention.”

 

“Mine too!” just like at lunch his free hand rests on her wrist but this time her shirt sleeve is up. It's soft. Warm. She can feel his fingers twitching nervously.

 

WWSD? What would Steve do? “How about we find a closing point and go to dinner? My treat?”

* * *

 

It suddenly truly occurs to Lalaina when they were sitting in the diner's booth, appetizer of onion rings on the table, and a tuna melt on the way, that she's never been on a date. And she isn't sure if this was one, she wants it to be. But she's _never_ been on one so how would she know? She keeps her eyes glued to the ranch dressing she's been dragging an onion ring through for a solid minute. He takes it from her, setting it on the small plate and drawing her attention. Her eyes lift and he's sliding his fingers between hers, palms pushed together and wrists bent awkwardly up. Lalaina can't help her snort of laughter, Jason grins.

 

“I've never been on a date before,” she finally breaks down, “I'm not sure how it works. I mean, if that's even what this is. Because if it's not-”

 

“Breath,” Jason laughs, squeezing her hand, “Don't think about it. Just go with it. That's what I'm doing.”

 

“Oh you look _very_ nervous,” she can't help rolling her eyes.

 

“I've had a crush on you since 7th grade. I have literally had nightmares about this,” he laughs again, finding humor in his vulnerability, and somehow it makes her smile that same smile that makes her jaw ache.

 

“That's a long time to carry a torch,” _I'm definitely not worth it_ , Lainey keeps the last part inside her blonde little head. She has a feeling that he wouldn't appreciate the self deprecating joke.

 

He shrugged, “It worked out though. I'm here, on a date with you and I'm doing a pretty good job of not screwing it up.”

 

“No. See the part of 'person who will fuck up the date' will be played by me this evening,” he nods along and they both laugh.

 

It's easy. Nothing needed to occur to her, nothing needed to have deeper thought, not yet anyways. Instead she focused on the boy in front of her. How he flicks his dark, shaggy bangs out his eyes with an invisible twitch of his slender neck or keeps his eyes locked on hers when she spoke. By the time they walk out of the dinner, hand in hand, she couldn't quite remember why'd she'd been so nervous. He opens her door, letting her slide in before he closes it and offers to drive her home.

* * *

 

Jason walks her to the door, like a gentleman, and Lainey can feel her mother and sister's eyes burning into her through a crack in the curtain. She really wants to tell them to buzz off or politely thank him for a nice time and slide inside. But she had made a decision in the diner booth, just wasn't going to over think.

 

“That was a little different than I'd expected when we got paired up for the project,” taking his hand in hers for the first time, she likes how it disappears in his grip, “You could've just asked me out...well, anytime since 7th grade.”

 

“I just always,” he sighs, looking nervous now, even more when he pushes his hair back and fixes her with those piercing blue eyes, “I always thought you and Harrington...”

 

She shakes her head. Normally she'd laugh, the ridiculous idea never ceases to make her laugh hysterically. But not tonight, not with Jason, “I thought we were just going with it. No thinking,” poking his chest, “Breath. All that jazz.”

 

Breathing was difficult, with his lips pressing against hers. Her heart races, she doesn't know what to do with her other hand. Or what to do with her mouth, she knew the mechanics but aside from a few games of spin the bottle Lalaina had never found herself in this situation before. She feels awkward and clunky. Not thinking was _definitely_ not working out. His other hand takes hers and places it against the curve of his neck up towards his jaw, his arms wrap around her waist, lifting her onto her tip toes and taking all the weight as she falls in. There's enough confidence in Lalaina to match the movement of his lips with her own. His hair is soft between her fingers, his cheek warm in her hand, there's a buzzing in her body she doesn't want to go away.

 

“You're a pretty good kisser for a girl who's never been on a date,” he mumbles against her lips, she can feel his smile, the way it makes their cheeks bump.

 

She kisses him again, she doesn't want to talk or think. All she wants to do it kiss him until she can't breath. Until their faces ache and their lips are chapped. Jason is all too eager to comply.

 

 


End file.
